WORCESTER, Mass. – Senior tailback
Domenic Cozier totaled 150 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns, but the Holy Cross football team was defeated by Harvard 31-21 at Fitton Field on Homecoming weekend. The Crusaders fall to 3-4 on the year with the loss, while the Crimson improve to 4-1 overall.
Following the game, Harvard defensive lineman Brogan McPartland received the Johnny Turco Award, which is presented annually by the Holy Cross Varsity Club, the Class of 1952 and the Holy Cross Club of Worcester to the Most Outstanding Player in the Homecoming day game. McPartland totaled three tackles and two quarterback sacks on the afternoon.
The Crusaders opened the scoring at the 13:44-mark of the first quarter on a 66-yard touchdown run by Cozier. The Crimson responded on their next possession with an 18-yard scoring strike from Jake Smith to Jack Cook, tying the score at 7-7.
Holy Cross then fumbled in its own territory on three of its next four drives, and Harvard converted those turnovers into 17 points to build a 24-7 lead early in the second quarter. Jake McIntyre kicked a 36-yard field, Smith threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Reagan and Devin Darrington added a three-yard scoring run to account for those points.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, senior defensive back
Chris Riley intercepted a pass deep in Crimson territory, setting up a 17-yard touchdown run by Cozier to make the score 24-14. But later in the quarter, Smith connected with Cody Chrest for a 68-yard touchdown to put Harvard back in front by 17 (31-14). The Crusaders would conclude the scoring late in the fourth quarter with a 32-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback
Connor Degenhardt to junior wide receiver
Tenio Ayeni.
Holy Cross returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 26, when it plays host to Colgate at 1:00 p.m. as part Family Weekend.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• Senior punter
Cody Wilkinson totaled 408 yards on nine punts (45.3 yard average), to post the third-most punting yards ever by a Crusader in a single game.
• The Holy Cross defense posted 14 tackles for loss on the afternoon, including three each by senior defensive lineman
Kevin Bucceroni, freshman linebacker
Jacob Dobbs and sophomore linebacker
Liam Doran.
• The Crusaders fall to 33-37-1 all-time in Homecoming games, losing eight in a row.
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